OT NBA forcing teams to play players?

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by CupWizier, Feb 9, 2019.

  1. CupWizier

    CupWizier Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
    Messages:
    11,265
    Likes Received:
    7,664
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired
    Thought I would bring this up for discussion as apparently the NBA is taking a stance with the Pels that they have to play Anthony Davis, but I know other teams sat players in the past with no repercussions. Why didn't they force Houston into playing Melo? I see it from both sides, but I do have a problem with the NBA being selective on who they go after and who they ignore.

    Any opinions?
     
  2. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    Messages:
    53,586
    Likes Received:
    54,649
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Davis is a top 5 player. Not playing him is essentially tanking. The NBA doesn't take kindly to that. Melo is not a player eho impacts the game positively anymore. Not playing him is trying to win.
     
    TorturedBlazerFan likes this.
  3. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    Messages:
    19,824
    Likes Received:
    23,356
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Baby Daddy
    Location:
    Chasing my kids
    I dont like it. Now AD, His agent, the LA Brass and the NBA have said well you arent allowed to tank, which means they’ll more than likely be forced into a really mediocre draft position. So not only has AD forced the pelicans into what will like be a lopsided trade, but is also effecting their rebuild.
    Then there is the consistency aspect of it, many guys have been “sat down” for the last half of the season while a team develops young players and goes after the lottery. Why is it ok in other situations and not ok here? Oh its because its Lebrons agent.


    I see the flipside of the arguement, but thats not personally how I feel about it.
     
  4. UKRAINEFAN

    UKRAINEFAN Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    13,539
    Likes Received:
    10,873
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    un-retired
    Location:
    Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine
    Just to add a little flavor to this thread:
    In his argument for Benson and the Pelicans, Van Gundy said Davis playing puts the Pelicans at risk of reducing its lottery chances and puts Davis at risk of injury, potentially ruining the team’s trade options for him. “I think their owner Gayle Benson has missed out on an opportunity to take a stand for her team and for all small market teams in the NBA,” Van Gundy said. “Anthony Davis, one of the five best players in the NBA, publicly demanded a trade and now the NBA is trying to bully her and threaten her with unduly harsh fines. “I think the league is wrong. I think they should allow New Orleans to do exactly what is best for them because everybody else is doing what’s best for themselves — Anthony Davis and the league. Let the Pelicans do what’s best for themselves.”
     
    GoBlazersGo, BBert, hoopsjock and 6 others like this.
  5. UKRAINEFAN

    UKRAINEFAN Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    13,539
    Likes Received:
    10,873
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    un-retired
    Location:
    Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine
    And why wasn't Memphis forced to play Parsons once he was medically cleared?
     
    TorturedBlazerFan likes this.
  6. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    Messages:
    19,824
    Likes Received:
    23,356
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Baby Daddy
    Location:
    Chasing my kids
    They let the Celtics sit down Paul Pierce, they let the Knicks tank, Philly was out saying they were trying to lose for like 5 years. Lots of teams right now are literally tanking and some made trades entirely to lose a lot this year and have draft picks / assets for next year. When some teams like the clippers do it its a really good move and smart.
     
    Strenuus likes this.
  7. UKRAINEFAN

    UKRAINEFAN Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    13,539
    Likes Received:
    10,873
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    un-retired
    Location:
    Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine
    But NO could have avoided all this by trading him before the deadline.
     
    hoopsjock and TorturedBlazerFan like this.
  8. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    Messages:
    19,824
    Likes Received:
    23,356
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Baby Daddy
    Location:
    Chasing my kids
    Yeah they couldve gotten ripped off earlier rather than later...
     
    BBert likes this.
  9. CupWizier

    CupWizier Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
    Messages:
    11,265
    Likes Received:
    7,664
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired
    But, is it fair to have different set of rules? All players and teams should be treated equally don't you think? Where is the cutoff line then?
     
  10. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    Messages:
    53,586
    Likes Received:
    54,649
    Trophy Points:
    113
    His play has declined. Him not playing isn't helping Memphis tank.
     
  11. Reep

    Reep Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2008
    Messages:
    5,527
    Likes Received:
    3,546
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    South Jordan, UT
    Silver will toss in some extra ping pong balls for the Pela to make up for it.
     
  12. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    Messages:
    53,586
    Likes Received:
    54,649
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Because, as the NBA goes, its about not allowing teams to purposely tank. How much does the absence of a player affect the W/L results for the team? With Davis the impact is major. He is their star. Without him they will lose most of the rest of their games, influencing thrir draft position and chances. Guys like Melo and Parsons...their absences have little effect.

    Maybe it's not fair. If you think about it another way, sitting a player can affect their market value. That's not fair to the player. I get that argument. As far as the NBA is concerned, they are more worried about teams tanking. Maybe teams should be held to same set of standards when it comes to benching players. Then again the NBA has never been fair.
     
    Hoopguru likes this.
  13. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2008
    Messages:
    26,060
    Likes Received:
    9,014
    Trophy Points:
    113
    If I was NOP I’d pay the 100k fines (about 3M left on the year) and make the trade partner pony up 3M in cash considerations for keeping him healthy And not putting extra miles on the odometer.
     
  14. CupWizier

    CupWizier Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
    Messages:
    11,265
    Likes Received:
    7,664
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired
    Okay, but you didn't answer the question. What is the cut off line for who should play and who you can sit? Let's take the Blazers roster for example? We can't sit Lillard but can we sit Aminu?
     
    BBert likes this.
  15. oldmangrouch

    oldmangrouch persona non grata

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2008
    Messages:
    12,402
    Likes Received:
    6,323
    Trophy Points:
    113
    The Pelicans are being punished for not trading AD to Lebron. By standing firm they PO'ed both powerful agents and the TV networks.
     
  16. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Messages:
    90,156
    Likes Received:
    52,173
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Usually the player is in on it, but this time the agent called the league and told them that Davis was healthy and he wanted to play. That's where the fines and the threats came in.
     
  17. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    Messages:
    53,586
    Likes Received:
    54,649
    Trophy Points:
    113
    The cutoff is the impact the given player would have. If his absence would cause an extensive or considerable amount of losses (thus being defined as tanking), then he has to play if he is healthy. If his impact is inconsequential then he can sit.
     
  18. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2008
    Messages:
    26,060
    Likes Received:
    9,014
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I'm not positive on this line of thinking...Each one of those guys got a max deal, so someone thought they were among the top 50 or so players in the league. By definition they are now a "star". Maybe not "superstar" (as, say, Kyle Lowry isn't LeBron or Klay Thompson isn't Greek Freak), but someone whose absence would raise red flags.
     
    hoopsjock likes this.
  19. EL PRESIDENTE

    EL PRESIDENTE Username Retired in Honor of Lanny.

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2010
    Messages:
    50,346
    Likes Received:
    22,528
    Trophy Points:
    113
    If he demanded a trade publically (which is against the rules), the Pelicans cant play him in good faith.

    He has stated he doesn't want to playbfor the franchise, which is grounds to bench him.
     
  20. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    Messages:
    53,586
    Likes Received:
    54,649
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Did Melo get a max? Parsons did but was injured and not expected to be the same player upon his return. I'm just saying there is a big difference between Davis and those two. Also I guess Davis complained to the league the other two accepted being benched.
     

Share This Page